A Global Kingdom

20 days.  15,000+ miles.  10 flights.

This is enough to quench even my travel-loving spirit.  When I arrived back in Birmingham on Sunday morning, I was very happy to be home.  I am even content to not have any big travel plans on the horizon, although I'm sure that won't be permanent.

Every aspect of my my trip half-way across the world and back again went great.  I'm truly so thankful for this.  Even more so though, I am thankful for God's global kingdom and the relationships I have all over the world because of it.  And somehow, they are all connected in various ways.

After a wonderful visit, I left Kate and her roommate Lydia on Thursday morning.  Good times and quality conversations still lingering in my head from there, I arrived in Seattle about 27 hours later.  I spent the weekend with my aunt, uncle, and cousin who have all lived in the Philippines before and even know some of Kate's teammates.  It was great to be able to process my own trip with them and discuss places and cultural aspects.  A few days later, I headed home to Birmingham via Chicago on a red-eye flight.  My dear friend & former missionary teammate Becca came to see me at the airport for a short visit during my early morning layover.  If I hadn't been a missionary myself, I wouldn't have had the same desire to visit a friend on the mission field.  Becca's passion for missionary care has also influenced me over the years--one more way the stories are weaved together.

Finally, there is my church in Birmingham.  My pastor often says it's like a family reunion, and I definitely felt that this past Sunday.  It's a joy to be enthusiastically greeted and hugged by close friends that I love and that I know have been praying for me.  I felt welcomed home in such an encouraging way.

These intertwining stories paint a beautiful picture of the Lord's global kingdom.  It feels like a small taste of heaven.